The Alumni Magazine for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. (WPI)
Issue link: http://wpialumnimag.epubxp.com/i/346667
Summer 2014 49 DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS, T he sesquicentennial year of WPI begins soon. The 16th president of the Institute has taken offce. An outstanding Class of 2018 is gearing up to arrive on campus next month. WPI has received the largest individual gift in the university's history, thanks to Bob Foisie '56. The plans for repurposing Alumni Gym and further invigorating the Quadrangle is generating deserved buzz. It's a great time to be a graduate of WPI. At a very successful Alumni Weekend—where I got to see many of you (and hope to see many more next year)—the design plans for the reshaping of Alumni Gym were unveiled. When fnished, the facility will build upon the collaborative project-based education at WPI to the point where future students will wonder how we got by in the "old days" of the Plan. As alumni—the original benefactors of the structure—our current 34,000-strong community again has a chance to make a difference in a meaningful way. The campaign for Alumni Gym is unique in its targeted use of proceeds, but also unique in the crowd-funding approach that will allow collective contributions from affnity groups to be recognized with particular emphasis on participation. The renovated gym will be named the Robert A. Foisie '56 Innovation Studio at Alumni Gym, in honor of his extraordinary lifetime giving. Over the years, Mr. Foisie has supported more than 580 WPI students— myself included—through his generous scholarship contributions. His latest gift of $40 million is also directed to scholarships. While Alumni Gym will rightfully be named for WPI's most generous alumnus thus far, the project components still need our support. Please consider participating in this historic project. The WPI School of Business is also being named in honor of Bob Foisie and his remarkable support of WPI. Having a named School of Business solidifes the importance of our undergraduate and graduate business programs, while raising the stature of the Foisie Business School to that of other named business schools around the country. Many of you returned to campus on June 14 for TouchTomorrow, a powerful collaboration with NASA that puts WPI at the forefront of the megatrend in robotics. This event has become one of WPI's largest outreach endeavors, with more than 10,000 visitors to campus each summer since 2012, and is another point of pride for alumni. With President Leshin, a former NASA administrator, now leading WPI, the stage is set for continuing collaborations between the university and NASA. Finally, I want to express my personal appreciation—and that of the Alumni Association Board—to Phil Ryan '65 for his exceptional leadership this past year. Phil's unbridled energy, business sense, approachability, and optimism were only matched by his managerial organization and communication skills in guiding WPI through the transition. If you'd like to extend your personal comments, email Phil at pbryan@ wpi.edu. Although we are enjoying these summer days, I'll ask you to please mark your calendar for Homecoming, Oct. 10–11. Stay tuned for more details online at wpi.edu/+homecoming. As always, you may reach out to me (mwalton@alum.wpi.edu) or any of the Alumni Association Board members with feedback on what we're doing and how we might improve our engagement with you. Best regards, Myles Walton '97 Alumni Gym needs our support. Please consider participating in this project. the view from the hill From the Alumni Association President news from HIGGINS HOUSE